Tube coupler

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a tube coupler which can easily perform a manufacturing process by omitting a direct process for a socket by connecting a easily-processed cocking ring to the socket. The tube coupler includes: a socket body having a jaw at its inner circumference to contact a seal ring; a cocking ring being incorporated with the socket body by a coupling means, and having two grooves where a safety ring for preventing separation and a locking ring are hooked; a nipple having grooves where the safety ring for preventing separation and the locking ring are positioned at its outer circumference in the axial direction; a seal ring inserted into the groove formed by the jaw of the socket body and the inside end of the cocking ring, and pressure-adhered between the outer circumference of the nipple and the inner circumference of the socket body; the locking ring hooked by the edge of a rib formed at the outer circumference of the nipple and the edge of the groove formed at the inner circumference of the cocking ring, for maintaining a hooking state of the nipple; and the safety ring for preventing separation hooked by the edge of another rib formed at the outer circumference of the nipple and the edge of another groove formed at the inner circumference of the cocking ring, for maintaining an interim connection state of the nipple.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a tube coupler used to connect avarious kinds of tubes such as swivel T or elbow type tubes, and inparticular to an improved tube coupler which can easily perform amanufacturing process by omitting a direct process for a socket byconnecting a easily-processed cocking ring to the socket, simplify aprocessing shape by decreasing a number of seal rings for air tightness,and cut down the prime cost.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] In general, one end of a tube coupler is inserted into a body ofan apparatus, and a tube such as a hose is inserted into the other endof the tube coupler to form a channel.

[0003] In the conventional tube coupler, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, whena stud member 20 is inserted into a socket member 10, a locking ring 30installed at the outer circumference of the stud member 20 is shrunkenalong an inclined surface 12 formed at the end of the socket member 10.When the locking ring 30 of the stud member 20 is closely adhered to theinclined surface 12 of the socket member 10, the locking ring 30 ishooked by a right-angled hooking groove 14 formed at the innercircumference of the socket member 10, thereby connecting the studmember 20 to the socket member 10.

[0004] In addition, two seal rings 32 and 33 are positioned at the frontand rear sides of the locking ring 30 in an axial direction. When thestud member 20 is inserted into the socket member 10, the seal ring 33positioned at the front side passes the hooking groove 14 without anyresistance, receives pressure in an orthogonal direction to the axisaround a ring-shaped rib 16 formed at the inner circumference of thesocket member 10, and maintains a pressured state between the studmember 20 and the socket member 10 in order to prevent leakage. The sealring 32 positioned at the rear side is closely adhered to the inclinedsurface 12 of the socket member 10 before the locking ring 30 is hookedby the hooking groove 14. When the locking ring 30 is hooked by thehooking groove 14, the seal ring 32 receives virtual pressure in aninclined direction between the socket member 10 and the stud member 20in order to prevent leakage.

[0005] A small-sized safety ring 35 installed at the end of the studmember 20 is hooked by a groove 17 formed at the inner circumference ofthe socket member 10 so that the stud member 20 can maintain an interimconnection state not to be completely connected to the socket member 10.In the case that the stud member 20 is completely inserted into thesocket member 10, the safety ring 35 is closely adhered to the innercircumference of the socket member 10 for performing a seal ringfunction for preventing a low pressure fluid from being externallyleaked.

[0006] However, the conventional tube coupler has difficulty in aprocess because the seal rings 32 and 33, the locking ring 30 and thesafety ring 35 are positioned in the socket member 10, and the inclinedsurface 12, the hooking groove 14, the groove 17 and the rib 16 havecomplicated shapes. Especially, when the socket member 10 is formed inan elbow type, if the tube coupler is fixed and processed to a chuck ofa lathe by using an exclusive use jig, the center of gravity is moved toone side. It is thus difficult to perform a precision process due toserious vibration. In order to solve the foregoing problems, a balanceweight is mounted on the jig, which complicates fabrication of the jig.

[0007] Moreover, the conventional tube coupler uses at least two sealrings 32 and 33. So as to install the seal rings 32 and 33, a pluralityof hooking grooves 14, grooves 17 and ribs 16 must be formed in thesocket member 10, and a large number of grooves and ribs must be formedin the stud member 20, which complicates a manufacturing process.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to providea tube coupler which can easily perform a process of a socket body andsimplify a structure of grooves and ribs by using a reduced number ofseal rings for easy manufacturing.

[0009] In order to achieve the above-described object of the invention,there is provided a tube coupler including: a socket body having a jawat its inner circumference to contact a seal ring; a cocking ring beingincorporated with the socket body by a coupling means, and havinggrooves where a safety ring for preventing separation and a locking ringare hooked in an axial direction; a nipple having grooves where thesafety ring for preventing separation and the locking ring arepositioned at its outer circumference in the axial direction; a sealring inserted into the groove formed by the jaw of the socket body andthe inside end of the cocking ring, and pressure-adhered between theouter circumference of the nipple and the inner circumference of thesocket body; the locking ring hooked by the edge of a rib formed at theouter circumference of the nipple and the edge of the groove formed atthe inner circumference of the cocking ring, for maintaining a hookingstate of the nipple; and the safety ring for preventing separationhooked by the edge of another rib formed at the outer circumference ofthe nipple and the edge of another groove formed at the innercircumference of the cocking ring, for maintaining an interim connectionstate of the nipple.

[0010] In accordance with the present invention, the grooves and theribs for the seal ring are processed in the cocking ring, and thecocking ring is connected to the socket body. Therefore, a highprecision process needs not to be directly performed on the socket body,thereby simplifying a manufacturing process. In addition, one seal ringis used, and thus a number of operations for processing the grooves andribs is reduced to cut down the prime cost. Since the tube coupler isformed in a swivel type, a precise position is not determined when ahose is connected to an apparatus to transfer fluid, but determined byrotating the socket body after tight coupling of the nipple. As aresult, the tube coupler is advantageous in mounting.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] The present invention will become better understood withreference to the accompanying drawings which are given only by way ofillustration and thus are not limitative of the present invention,wherein:

[0012]FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional diagram illustrating a conventionaltube coupler just before insertion;

[0013]FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional diagram illustrating an insertionstate of the conventional tube coupler;

[0014]FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional diagram illustrating a tube coupler inaccordance with the present invention; and

[0015]FIG. 4 is a disassembled perspective diagram illustrating the tubecoupler in accordance with the present invention.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0016] A tube coupler in accordance with a preferred embodiment of thepresent invention will now be described in detail with reference to theaccompanying drawings.

[0017]FIGS. 3 and 4 are a cross-sectional diagram and a disassembledperspective diagram respectively illustrating the tube coupler inaccordance with the present invention. Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, thetube coupler includes: an elbow-type socket body 50; a cocking ring 60connected to the socket body 50; a nipple 70 inserted into the cockingring 60; a seal ring 40 installed at a leaked area for performing anairtight function; a locking ring 44; and a safety ring for preventingseparation.

[0018] Here, the socket body 50 can be formed in an elbow type having anL-shaped fluid channel 56 at its center portion. A jaw 52 contacting theseal ring 40 and a jaw 57 for restricting insertion to fix the edge ofthe socket body 50 to the cocking groove 60 when the cocking groove 60is inserted in an axial direction are formed at the inner circumferenceof the socket body 50.

[0019] In addition, a ring-shaped cocking groove 69 is formed, forexample in a V shape along the outer circumference of the cocking ring60. A large diameter unit and a small diameter unit are formed in astair shape with different diameters. An inclined rib 66 is formedtherebetween. The large diameter unit and the small diameter unitrespectively have grooves 64 and 62 for insertion of the locking ring 44and the safety ring 42 for preventing separation.

[0020] The rib 66 formed at the inner circumference of the cocking ring60 is formed in an inclined surface shape to generate slowtransformation in an insertion direction of the safety ring 42 forpreventing separation.

[0021] On the other hand, the outer circumference of the nipple 70 isformed in a stair shape having its outer diameter decreased toward theedge. The seal ring 40, the safety ring 42 for preventing separation andthe locking ring 44 are positioned at the outer circumference of thenipple 70 from the small to large diameter.

[0022] In addition, grooves 72 and 74 which the safety ring 42 forpreventing separation and the locking ring 44 are inserted into areformed at the nipple 70. A ring-shaped rib 76 is formed between thegrooves 72 and 74. A general thread 77 is formed at the opposite side ofthe nipple 70. A hexagonal nut unit 78 a is formed at the center portionto twist the nipple 70 with a tool such as a spanner in screwconnection. A fluid channel 79 where the fluid flows is formed at thecenter portion of the nipple 70.

[0023] The operation of the tube coupler in accordance with the presentinvention will now be described in detail with reference to theaccompanying drawings.

[0024] As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, in the connection process of thecocking ring 60 and the socket body 50, when the seal ring 40 isinserted into the jaw 52 of the socket body 50 and the cocking ring 60is inserted thereinto, the cocking ring 50 is hooked by the jaw 57 ofthe socket body 50. In a state where the cocking ring 60 is fixed not tobe separated, when the edge of the socket body 50 is bent to be hookedby the cocking groove 69 formed at the outer circumference of thecocking ring 60, the cocking ring 60 and the socket body 50 areincorporated.

[0025] On the other hand, in a state where the nipple 70 is separatedfrom the cocking ring 60, when the nipple 70 is inserted into thecocking ring 60 for interim connection, the safety ring 42 forpreventing separation fastened to the nipple 70 passes the largediameter unit of the cocking ring 60, is compressed and transformedthrough the rib 66 of the cocking ring 60 at the small diameter unit,and is forcibly inserted into the cocking ring 60.

[0026] Here, when the safety ring 42 for preventing separation ispositioned in the groove 62 formed at the inner circumference of thecocking ring 60, the safety ring 42 returns to the original shape to acertain extent due to elasticity, and thus is hooked by the edge of thegroove 62 and the edge of the rib 78 of the nipple 70, therebypreventing the nipple 70 from being separated from the cocking ring 60.The locking ring 44 fails to be inserted into the cocking ring 60 andmaintains an interim connection state outside.

[0027] Thereafter, when the nipple 70 is fixed not to move in the axialdirection, if the nipple 70 is pushed once in the axial direction, thelocking ring 44 is inserted into the cocking ring 60 and forciblycompressed and transformed at the same time. When the locking ring 44reaches the groove 64 formed at the inner circumference of the cockingring 60, the locking ring 44 returns to the original shape, and thus ishooked by the edge of the groove 64 formed at the cocking ring 60 andthe edge of the rib 76 formed at the outer circumference of the nipple70, thereby preventing the nipple 70 from being separated from thecocking ring 60. Here, the safety ring 42 is separated from the edge ofthe rib 78 formed at the nipple 70, returns to the original shape, andthus is released from the groove 62 formed at the outer circumference ofthe cocking ring 60.

[0028] For reference, since the nipple 70 and the socket body 50 areclosely adhered to each other having the seal ring 40 therebetween, thecocking ring 60 and the socket body 50 do not have any sealing device.

[0029] As described above, in a state where the socket body 50, thecocking ring 60 and the nipple 70 are connected, a hose 80 is insertedinto the socket body 50, and the nipple 70 is threaded to an apparatus(not shown), when the fluid is transferred therethrough, the seal ring40 positioned between the socket body 50 and the nipple 70 resists fluidpressure and prevents leakage. Here, the socket body 50 and the nipple70 are formed in a rotatable swivel type, and thus the socket body 50 isrotated to determine the position in a hose direction after the tightcoupling of the nipple.

[0030] The elbow-type tube coupler was exemplified in the embodiment ofthe invention, but it is apparent that the present invention can beapplied to a variety of tube couplers including line or T type couplersand also executed by a person having ordinary skill in the art by theforegoing construction and the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A tube coupler comprising: a socket body 50having a jaw 52 at its inner circumference to contact a seal ring 40; acocking ring 60 being incorporated with the socket body 50 by a couplingmeans, and having grooves 62 and 64 where a safety ring 42 forpreventing separation and a locking ring 44 are hooked at its innercircumference in an axial direction; a nipple 70 having grooves 72 and74 where the safety ring 42 for preventing separation and the lockingring 44 are positioned at its outer circumference in the axialdirection; a seal ring 40 inserted into the groove 54 formed by the jaw52 of the socket body 50 and the inside end of the cocking ring 60, andpressure-adhered between the outer circumference of the nipple 70 andthe inner circumference of the socket body 50; the locking ring 44hooked by the edge of a rib 76 formed at the outer circumference of thenipple 70 and the edge of the groove 64 formed at the innercircumference of the cocking ring 60, for maintaining a hooking state ofthe nipple 70; and the safety ring 42 for preventing separation hookedby the edge of another rib 78 formed at the outer circumference of thenipple 70 and the edge of another groove 62 formed at the innercircumference of the cocking ring 60, for maintaining an interimconnection state of the nipple
 70. 2. The tube coupler according toclaim 1, wherein the coupling means for coupling the socket body 50 andthe cocking ring 60 comprises a ring-shaped cocking groove 69 formedalong the outer circumference of the cocking ring 60 and the end portionof the socket body 50 is curved toward the cocking groove
 69. 3. Thetube coupler according to claim 1, wherein an axial direction sectionshape of the contact surface caused by coupling of the cocking ring 60and the nipple 70 is a stair type having its outer diameter decreasedtoward the edge.